In the middle of the night
by geminiangel1964
Summary: Just a little something that came to me Alright, Meilea, Section 2 is for you. Hope you enjoy it.
1. Chapter 1

Linnie wiggled until she could feel Chris' sole. "Chris, Chris."

"Go to sleep, Linnie, please." Chris begged.

"My tummy hurts." Linnie whimpered. "It hurts a lot."

"Do you need Daddy and Papa?" Chris asked. "Is that thing cold and wet or smelly, too?"

Linnie considered, "It's a little wet but not smelly. I just have a really bad ache in my tummy."

Zuma yawned. His babies were awake. The room was dark but he could see in their crib. It was too early for them to be awake. A pup needs sleep, but they were his babies and he should see what was wrong. Wearily, he made his way off the bed. Staying down wind, he sniffed carefully before he went closer.

His twins were fussy. He pressed his nose in between the bars and reached though with a paw to pat Chris. "It's okay," Zuma soothed him.

"Zoomom. Linnie doesn't feel well. Get Papa and Daddy."

Zuma protested the modification of his name. Although it was hard to comprehend everything Chris was saying, the names came through well. "Zoomba. Zoomba." Leaving Chris' side he made his way to the other end of the crib. "What's wrong, Linnie?"

Linnie whined. "I need Papa. My tummy hurts. Papa. Daddy. Come get me."

Zuma whirled towards the bed. Aiming carefully, he leapt onto the mattress and came down on Daddy's legs. Spinning he began to kiss mom.. papa. "Wake up, Daddy. Wake up, papa. My sister doesn't feel well."

Jethro groaned. "Zuma, off."

Tony batted at the pup. "What is... Jethro, the babies are crying." He began to move towards the edge of the bed. "Papa's coming."

"I'll get them." Jethro gave Zuma a big push. "Good job, pup." He gave him a quick ear scratch. Tony moved to the crib and patted Chris before reaching to pat Linnie. His daughter had tears and whimpered pitifully.

"Finally, Papa. Wait pick me up. My tummy hurts and you just pat and leave. At least Zoomba tried to help me."

"Can you hand me Linnie?" Tony sat down in the rocking chair. "She's crying, Chris seems to just be grumbling."

"Grumbling? My sister is sick. I was trying to wake you up to help her. How dare you accuse me of grumbling? What nerve? Linnie, do you hear them? Humph."

"It hurts," Linnie said to her daddy, "Fix it."

"Here you go."

"What is this? Pass the baby night? My stomach hurts. Someone do something." Linnie wailed.

"What wrong, my precious girl?" Tony looked down at her. She was drawing her legs up and kicking them. He felt her tummy. "Does someone have gas? Here," Tony put her up against his shoulder.

"It hurts, papa. Help me." Linnie tried to pound him on the shoulder with her tiny fists. "Fix it now." Tony began to rub her back and along the bottom of her ribs. "Papa, it's not helping. Daddy, make him him fix this. Doggie! Chris! Someone!"

Zuma looked up from where he was laying on the edge of the bed. He barked at Linnie. "Give him a chance."

"Someone help m... eeeerrrrpppp..." Linnie felt a trickle of milk run from her mouth on to Papa's shoulder. "Oh, excuse me."

Chris snorted from his place on Daddy's shoulder. Daddy was rocking him slowly from side to side. Even though Chris wasn't in pain, Daddy was still holding him and patting him. He liked that about Daddy and Papa. If one baby got attention, they both did. He loved Daddy's smell. "You sound like Grandpa."

"I do not!" Linnie cried back.

"Do to."

"Do... eerrpp..." Linnie felt the fullness in her tummy ease.

"How's that feel, sweetheart?" Tony lifted her away a bit to see her face.

"Oh, Papa, I feel so much better." Linnie sighed.

Tony moved her to his other shoulder so she didn't have to smell the curdled milk. "I know, baby girl, that mean old gas hurts, doesn't it?"

"Yes, Papa, it really does."

"Do you think you could go back to sleep, sweetheart?"

Linnie tried to kept her eyes wide, but felt her head drooping. "No, Papa. I want to stay here. Don't put me down, yet. Please."

"Suck-up." Chris called.

"Don't see Daddy putting you down yet." Linnie retorted.

"Jethro, could you wipe my shoulder off?" Tony asked holding his other arm out for Chris.

Jethro wiped his husband's shoulder before obligingly settling Chris beside his sister.

"No, Daddy!.. It's my turn with Papa. Take him back."

"No. Papa made you better, it's my turn now."

"Hey, my angels." They felt the rumble of Papa's voice. "Skeeters are a-humming on the honeysuckle vine..."

"No fair, Papa." Linnie shook her head. "I want rocked... I don't want to sleep yet."

"Silvery moon a shining..."

"Shh, Linnie, I want to hear the end..."

"We... yawn... never hear the ..."

"Close your eyes..." Tony finished low.

"Out like a charm." Jethro carefully lifted Chris and placed him back in the crib.

"I told you... they sleep in self-defense." Tony handed his husband Linnie. He stood carefully and went to stand next to Jethro looking at their sleeping babies.

"They love to listen to their papa." Jethro corrected. "So do I..."

A snore from the bed interrupted the sweet moment. "I think that's Zuma for 'Me ,too!', Papa."

"He sure was determined to wake us." Tony smiled as Jethro moved to stand behind him and lowered his chin to Tony's shoulder.

"Don't need a baby monitor with Zuma around." Jethro laughed. "I think Chris was crying just because Linnie was crying."

"No gas?"

"Nope."

"They are going to be so close," Tony smiled. "and loving."

"Just like their papa."

Tony put his head against Jethro's. "I love you all, so much."

"We love you, too."

In their sleep, Chris and Linnie smiled slightly.

"Wonder what they are dreaming of?"

Jethro smiled at the babies and hugged Tony. "Papa holding them on his shoulder, rocking them to sleep to the sound of a lullaby, don't you think?"

Tony only smiled. Sometimes everything was perfect and didn't need explaining.


	2. Chapter 2

Section 2

"Good-morning, sweetheart."

"No, Daddy, it's too eeeearly."

"Are you feeling better this morning?"

Linnie blinked twice and considered the question. "Yes, daddy. It's all better."

"Who's my precious baby girl?"

"I am."

Jethro picked her up and cradled her in the crook of his arm. "Who's my precious baby girl?" He tickled her under the chin making her squirm.

"Nooo..." Linnie squealed. "I told you I am. Didn't you hear me, Daddy?"

"I bet it's you."

"Stop tickling me, Daddy. Of course, it's me. Chris is a boy."

"How about we get our bath now?"

Linnie noticed Chris still sleeping. "No. Let Chris go first. I want to sleep some more." Daddy ignored her and he carried her towards the bathroom. "Daddy, no. Please, I want to sleep now."

"After your bath, Daddy will dress you and then how about a nice bottle? Aunt Breena dropped off some nice fresh milk."

Daddy said the magic word, Linnie paused in her protest. Milk? A bottle? Now that Daddy mentioned it, she was a bit peckish. She wondered if she could convince Daddy to skip the bath and dressing. He could sit in the rocker and feed her; then he could let her sleep a little longer. Yes, that was a good plan. Linnie explained the new sequence of events to Daddy.

"Nnnnooo. Daddy, you're not listening," Linnie whined as he started to unsnap her jammies. "It's cold..."

"Papa got you some hyacinth and peony for your bath. Doesn't it smell nice?"

Linnie paused her protest and took a hesitant sniff. Papa was good at picking good-smelling things. She liked how it stayed on her skin and made it feel soft. She liked how she could smell it during the day and how Grandpa would pick her up and tell her how good she smelled and pretended to eat her hand.

"Fine." Linnie grumpled. "You may bath me. Then I want my purple dress with the ruffles and my frilly white socks. Oh, and my white kidskin shoes with the embroidered flowers that Uncle Tim gave me."

Giving in, Linnie relaxed into her bath. "Daddy, you're tickling me." She giggled as he washed her neck with her bunny washcloth. "Oooo, yes, daddy, right there." She cooed as he shampooed her hair massaging her scalp as he did. Forgetting her earlier protest, she complained when Daddy finally lifted her from the bath and bundled her into a nice warm towel.

"Who's my special girl?"

"Are you having problems with your memory, Daddy?"

"Daddy loves his little princess."

"I love you, too, Daddy."

"Let's see, what should we wear today?" Daddy opened the small closet door. He began to move the dresses on the little hangers looking through her wardrobe. "How about this?" He paused at the yellow dress with the little lamb on the front.

"No. I told you the purple one. Don't you remember?"

"Ahhh. Here we go." Daddy pulled out a mint green dress with white lace. "This is your Papa's favorite."

"I want the purple." Linnie reminded him.

"Now all we need is shoes, socks and a fresh diaper."

"Noooo." Linnie tried to grab the purple dress but missed.

Daddy kissed the top of her head. "Papa bought you this dress the first day we went shopping. He said you looked like a fairy princess in the ruffles."

"Fairy princess?" Linnie pouted for a minute, but if it made her look like a fairy princess... "Okay, for Papa, but tomorrow I want the purple."

Jethro pulled out her frilliest white socks and the mint green shoes that matched her dress. He laid her on the changing table and began to dress her. Linnie gave in graciously allowing him to maneuver her little arms into the dress. She cooed as he brushed her hair and put in a little flower barrette.

When he was finished dressing her, Daddy picked her up. Fluffing her dress, he held her up the mirror. "There's my beautiful girl. Daddy loves you so much. Since your brother is being a lazy bug this morning, why don't we go have breakfast just the two of us and then you gave have a little nap while I bath and dress your brother?"

Linnie quickly expressed her approval.


	3. Chapter 3

Chris grunted as he found himself lifted from the nice comfy mattress. He blinked to see Linnie already dressed and sitting in her bouncy chair trying to bat at her mobile. "No, Daddy. I'll wait till Papa wakes up."

"How's my boy this morning?"

"Tired. Linnie kept me up half the night. Just put me back down, please." Chris thought Linnie muttered 'fat chance' as Daddy carried him away from the crib. "No, Daddy. What do you think you're doing?"

"My precious boy. Are you ready for your bath?"

"Nooo.. I'm going back to sleep. I told you that."

"Linnie already had her bath. Now it's your turn."

"No! I don't like that frou-frou stuff she uses. She smells like a girl. I'll wait. I can bath tonight. I'm not even dirty yet."

"Papa. Make him let me sleep."

"Guess what," Jethro was unsnapping his jammies. "Papa got something special for your bath. What do you smell?"

"Daddy, I don't want to smell. Quit unbuttoning my jammies. I want to go back to sleep." Chris whined.

"Who's Daddy's special boy?

"I am... usually." Chris muttered.

"Hmm... Who's my special boy?"

"Are you deaf?"

"Who's my boy? You are... Yes, you are."

"I do not want to play." Chris tried to prevent his jammies from being pulled off. "Daddy. Stop it."

Jethro tickled his sleepy son's tummy and then removed the g-diaper.

"Hey, I'm naked here."

"Here we go." Jethro slipped the baby boy into the water. He quickly covered his son's privates, before Chris could launch his own wet assault. "Doesn't that smell good? Daddy found you almond coconut. Doesn't it smell good?" He leaned down and whispered. "Reminds me of Papa's special pound cake."

Chris considered. "It does. That reminds me. How come you never share with me? Papa makes a whole big cake and gives you the biggest slice. You don't even share a crumb. That's downright stingy and very inconsiderate. Kind of like popping me this bath after I told you I wasn't even dirty."

"After we get finished, how about some breakfast? I'll heat you a bottle and we could set on the porch while you eat."

"Why didn't you say so? Get me out of this bath, I'm starving." Chris demanded impatiently. "Noooo, not the hair. Papa did it yesterday. You're going to wash it off and I'll be bald."

"Here we go," Jethro swaddled his son in a towel and headed off to pick out an outfit.

"I'll have my khakis and the tee I wore yesterday." Chris said.

"Okay, your sister is in here mint green dress, now I know Papa bought you a coordinating outfit."

"Coordinating? That's for sissies. I'll just wear my khakis, they aren't dirty."

"Here it is." He pulled out a darker green pair of overalls with a matching mint shirt.

"No. That is so dorky. Real men don't wear green shoes."

"Papa is going to be so happy." Jethro began deftly clothing his son. "These are his favorite outfits."

"Not wait one cotton-picking minute." Chris was having trouble catching hold of the fingers quickly dressing him. "I told you not the green. I want yesterday's khakis."

"I'll have you dressed in a minute. You're impatient for breakfast this morning."

"What is wrong with you? I... am... not... wearing... the green. Or a bowtie." Chris recoiled in horro Are you not listening?"

"There we go." Jethro held him up to the mirror. "There's my handsome boy."

Chris moaned in mortification. He was wearing the green and the bowtie.

"We better go get that tummy fed." Jethro tickled his son's tummy as he held him. "You must be starving."

"I'm never eating again. I can never show my face again. How could you do this to me? Your only son. Just put me in the crib, I'm going on a hunger strike."

Jethro put his unhappy son up over his shoulder. "Daddy's going. Your bottle will be ready in a minute. Then you can play for a while. How's that sound?"

"Like you never listen to me." Chris thought about protesting again. However, Aunt Breena did make really great milk. His hunger strike would be easier on a full stomach, after all.


	4. Chapter 4

"Not again." Linnie groused as she felt herself lifted from the mattress, but she felt herself cuddled in the crook of an arm and relaxed back into sleep.

"You better not be bathing me again," Chris gave his daddy a quick baleful look as he was lifted but cuddled down in Daddy's embrace... Wait, if Daddy picked me up...

"Well, good morning, my angels..."

"Papa!"

"Thank heavens!"

"..you're finally awake..."

"You need to..."

"Off the bow tie..."

"Purple dress..."

"Look at you. Daddy has you all dressed."

"...Khakis..."

"...Flower shoes..."

"...all my hair off..."

"...too early..."

"Papa loves you both so much. Don't you look beautiful, Linnie? And Chris, you look so handsome."

"Shut up for a minute."

"need to tell Papa..."

"...my shoes..."

"...about the tie..."

"Did you enjoy having some time with daddy by yourself?"

"...No..."

"...to early..."

"I think Daddy needed that time with you."

"Huh?"

"Are you listening, Papa?"

"Daddy was too early..."

"You see, there's a bad man who's hurting people..."

"You won't let him hurt us..." both squealed.

"There are men coming today to help Daddy, Uncle Tim, Uncle Ned and I track him down. Then Daddy is going to take Uncle Tim and he's going to put the bad man away where he can't hurt anyone again."

"Daddy's smart." Chris spoke up.

"Daddy'll protect us." Linnie confirmed.

"When I look at you I feel so happy and so loved, like Daddy did this morning with you. Daddy needed to share his love with you."

"I didn't know Daddy needed me." Linnie said softly.

"Me, neither," Chris thought about his protests.

"Just like I need you right now." Tony gave each tiny head a kiss. "I think that's why Daddy dressed you in my favorite outfits. He knows how much I love seeing you in them."

Chris dropped his head in shame. "I'm sorry I yelled at Daddy about the tie."

Linnie added remorsefully, "I can wear the purple any day."

"Today is going to be really hard for all of us, so I have a big favor to ask." Tony cuddled his children closer. "Can you two help us keep the spirits up? Can you share that with the others? Just let them hold you and cuddle you. Make the bad thoughts go away."

"That's it?" Chris asked.

Linnie looked at her papa. "Just cuddle? I like to cuddle."

"Would you do that for Daddy and Papa?"

"Will we be helping catch bad men?"

"Like you and daddy and unca Tim and unca Ned and Zoomba?"

"Will we be agents?" Linnie asked in awe.

"I want a badge." Chris spoke up.

"They're arriving." Daddy's voice came from the door. "Need a few more minutes?" After handing the twins to his husband, he had left to give them some time together. Jethro wished for a camera to capture the look of unconditional love that Tony was giving the babies.

"Is it bad to want to stay in here and just hold our little ones?"

Jethro came over and sat on the footstool by the rocker. "No." He stroked each baby's cheek. "This morning after they were dressed. I spent some time with each one alone. Just holding them and telling them how much I love them."

"Daddy, I'm sorry for being cranky." Linnie felt ashamed.

Chris added quietly, "Me, too."

"Just a few more minutes?"

Jethro squeezed Tony's hand. He smiled, what had he done to deserve so much love. "Just a few more minutes," he agreed.


End file.
